Workplace fatalities 'reach record low'
Commercial insurance
26th June 2009
The number of people killed in the workplace in the UK dropped to a record low last year, new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures have revealed.
According to the data, the amount of fatalities at work in Britain dropped by 17 per cent compared with previous lowest level of 217 recorded in 2005-06.
A total of 180 people died in workplace accidents in the UK last year and HSE chair Judith Hackitt welcomed the reduction, stating that "Britain consistently has fewer fatal injuries than comparable industrialised nations in the rest of Europe", which may be of interest to business liability insurance customers.
However, she added that work-related ill health continues to be "a significant problem" in Britain, accounting for four times more lost working days than injuries.
In related news, chairman of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health's construction group John Lacey has urged businesses to do more to reduce the number of workplace fatalities taking place in the sector after the figure dropped to 53 in 2008-09.
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